Friday, January 13, 2012

The Brighton

It's rare to find a wonderful neighborhood restaurant. A place where the menu always delivers up something delicious and the specials are truly special. A place where the owner plops down at your table to talk with your kids about school. We've found such a place at the Brighton--yay!!

With my daughter pirouetting the evening away, my husband, son, and I met up at the Brighton last night ready for comfort food (yep, that kind of week--and that was even before it was over).

First up, wings!! I'm going out on a limb here but will stand my ground: the Brighton has the best wings in Rochester. They are spicy with an Asian twist; we've made a meal of them in the past. The kind of wings where you try to inconspicuously count the bones on all the plates to see if you can grab another one without looking overly piggy. So good!

After hearing the specials we were good to go. My husband ordered the Asian-marinaded grilled pork with broccoli, scallions and peanut noodles; I ordered the fajita-marinaded flank steak sandwich with sauteed peppers on a hoagie roll with seasoned fries. The boy ordered a mini-Brighton burger (bacon cheeseburger). One of the great things about this place is that they can make many of their items kid-sized, so much better than a kids' menu!

The pork special was fantastic. The marinade on the pork was subtle but stood up to the creamy rich peanut sauce--as did the firm broccoli. His portion was huge! He took half home. But, it didn't last. As soon as my daughter got home, she ate her second dinner (where she puts this stuff is beyond me), which was all my husband's leftovers. They barely had time to get cold.

My sandwich was super-yummy!! Its marinade was stronger, with smoky chipotle undertones and a nice spark of lime. The steak was topped with red and yellow peppers and served on a toasted bun. The steak juices and marinade soaked into the bun without making it soggy. Love! The sandwich was accompanied by a mountain of wonderfully crispy seasoned fries--at least half of which made their way into my husband's stomach. Oh, I can't forget the pickle slices--thick, crispy and cold. I love pickles!

The mini-burger was perfectly sized and cooked medium well with melted cheddar and crisp bacon on a right-sized bun. The verdict: he ate it all.

We finished it with two slices of pie: coconut cloud (chocolate base with a macaroon-like topping) and pumpkin. The Brighton's pies are made by the School of Holy Childhood--so you're eating and doing good! Guilt-free :)

Even if the Brighton isn't in your neighborhood, if you can't imagine eating in such a yellow restaurant, if you've always just driven by on the way to DiBella's (!!!), stop, park, order some wings, and eat some pie--you'll soon call yourself a neighbor.